The U.S. has expanded its sanctions on Russian companies while simultaneously removing restrictions on the wife of Boris Rotenberg, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control reported on April 2.
While U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly praised his relationship with Putin, he took a more critical tone on March 30, accusing Moscow of stalling ceasefire talks and fixating on President Volodymyr Zelensky's credibility.
Trump has repeatedly threatened Russia with additional sanctions, most recently threatening tariffs on Russian oil exports if Putin does not "make a deal" to end the war.
Karina Rotenberg, the wife of the billionaire Boris Rotenberg, has been a U.S. citizen since at least 2013, the Moscow Times reported, citing leaked documents. She was sanctioned by the U.S. in March 2022.
Boris and his brother Arkady Rotenberg have built their wealth through state-backed contracts in construction and banking, and both have been sanctioned by Western governments for their ties to the Kremlin.
The Treasury Department did not provide a reason for Karina Rotenberg's removal from the sanctions list.
Three Russian legal entities — Edison, Kolibri Group, and Sky Frame — were added to the U.S. Treasury Department’s blacklist, blocking their assets and banning all transactions.
Edison trades in household appliances, Kolibri Group deals in grain and animal feed, and Sky Frame is listed as a motion picture production company.
According to the Treasury, these companies were part of a network, backed by Iran, that sent raw materials, weapons, and sensitive goods from Russia to the Yemeni Houthis.
The shipments, estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars, reportedly included grain stolen from Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group formally known as Ansar Allah, have been engaged in conflict with Yemen’s government since 2014.
Since late 2023, they have targeted commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, citing retaliation against Israel’s military operation in Gaza. The U.S. has ramped up airstrikes against the Houthis in recent weeks to counter the attacks on regional shipping.
The sanctions come as Moscow is demonstrating that it is unwilling to move forward on a peace deal with Ukraine, and Russian authorities have listed maximalist demands in ceasefire negotiations with Ukraine and the U.S.
Washington and Kyiv agreed to a full ceasefire on March 11, but Moscow rejected it, accepting only a limited truce on strikes against energy infrastructure and military operations in the Black Sea.
Kyiv has since accused Moscow of violating the energy ceasefire, while the Black Sea truce remains uncertain as Russia links its continuation to sanction relief.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
